Notes on a Scandal is a 2006 British psychological drama thriller directed by Richard Eyre and produced by Robert Fox and Scott Rudin.

When a new art teacher, Sheba Hart, joins the staff, Barbara is immediately attracted to her and they strike up a friendship.

Sheba is married to the much older Richard, and is just re-entering the work force after devoting herself to her special needs son.

Barbara later witnesses Sheba in a sexual encounter with a 15-year-old student named Steven Connolly at the school.

Sheba leaves Barbara, placing the journal on the table as a mute reminder that she had kept its contents secret, and returns to her husband.

The film was shot mainly on location in the Parliament Hill, Gospel Oak and Camden Town areas of northwest London.

[2] Notes on a Scandal opened to positive reviews, with Blanchett and Dench receiving widespread critical acclaim for their performances.

The website's critical consensus states, "In this sharp psychological thriller, Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett give fierce, memorable performances as two schoolteachers locked in a battle of wits.

"[3] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 73 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

[4] The Guardian called the film a "delectable adaptation" with "tremendous acting from Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett, with many blue-chip supporting contributions and a "screenwriting masterclass from Patrick Marber".

"[9] However, the Houston Chronicle criticised the film as a melodrama, saying, "[d]ramatic overstatement saturates just about every piece of this production".